Mother and Teen Daughter driving around town daily distributing food and supplies to street people and their pets.

Apr 1, 2012

Sweet Service

Sometimes so much is going on that it seems impossible to sum things up into a few short paragraphs and as a result months pass and nothing gets written. Thankfully nothing written does not mean nothing is getting done. Although we have not been able to volunteer as often as we would like to alongside KIDS AGAINST ANIMAL CRUELTY whenever we do volunteer we like to wear our KAAC shirts and make it known who we are representing and what they are all about. This past December we were fortunate to volunteer at the Baldwin Park Animal Shelter while they were doing a huge holiday event in conjunction with Best Friends Animal Society Los Angeles and a lot of other good people. My daughter was thrilled when Amanda Seyfried showed up with her family and a friend. They all wanted to help and learn more about shelter animals. It is always wonderful when a celebrity shows up without any paparazzi or anyone else trying to make a publicity stunt out of what they are doing. Amanda and the people with her did what we were all doing there and it made me have that much more respect for her not just as an actress but as a compassionate human being.

One of the things my teen has made me very aware of is all the stray dogs running around nearly everywhere we travel. There was a time when I drove past them in my usual hurry figuring someone else could help them.It is so time consuming and heart breaking chasing these poor creatures as they run in fear not knowing or understanding what we are trying to do for them. I am to the point where I feel it is my responsibility to do what I can and invest as much time as my day truly allows which always varies. One day I spent five hours coaxing a dog with my neighbor and she is now the proud guardian of that beautiful dog. He went to the pound but nobody came for him so she went back and adopted him. The last dog I picked up was a little 6 pound male I named Chance. He was running down a busy street with a torn urine soaked rope dragging behind him. Our friends said they would foster him for two weeks while I tried to place him but he stole their hearts and after a few days they decided to keep him. Chance now lives in a home with 3 boys their Mom and Dad. He adores them and is living the life he was meant to have all because I took the time to stop my car when everyone else passed him.

Something else that always grabs my attention while driving is the number of "Street People" wandering around with their beloved dogs. I try to keep blankets, dog food,treats, waters, people food and toiletries in my vehicle so I have something to share with them. I am in awe of people who have so little yet share what they do have with their furry companions. This past week I stopped and introduced myself to a few of these people and met their furbabies. After them telling me how hard it is to have non licensed dogs when the police come around I told them I would use my facebook page to get pledges to help them spay, neuter, vaccinate and license their animals. I picked a woman and her boyfriend and their two dogs to start. I was so excited to have raised enough funds to take the dogs in and there were promises for more which would pay for their vaccinations and licensing. Each time I would see this woman she would run up and hug me but today there was a misunderstanding with her believing I was trying to "force" her to neuter the male dog and she stormed down the street and refused to speak to me again. I am not giving up but I am stepping back and will continue to help where I can in hopes that when Mary comes around I can spay her female dog and get the vaccinations regardless of whether she ever allows me to neuter the male. I will continue checking out organizations I can utilize for helping anyone on the street who can use a hand but especially those who choose to take on the added responsibility of an animal. Much of society has given up on them and maybe rightfully so in certain situations but I cannot turn away now.

Last but not least is business. How wonderful it will be the day I am taking in enough to really make a difference through donations. During the past year KIDS AGAINST ANIMAL CRUELTY and

RICH DELIGHTS have done a great job Paying It Forward in many places that needed the help. Rich Delights will continue donating 10% of all sales to KAAC and if our new Paw Pops are ordered they get 15% of all sales from them. It is a win win situation. People get delicious baked goods and treats and money is either donated or used to buy things for animals in need. Rich Delights is:The Treat That Gives Back~And I will continue Baking4You!